And so, it was there again
by Yanaira128
Summary: Set two years after the war ended. Things have been awkward between Inaho and Asseylum and so his best friend wanted to try and fix that a bit. One-shot.


A/N: Hi guys. After watching finish I just thought that I had to write a story for Asseylum and Inaho. Before you read this just remember that it might be a bit sappy, but I'm not too sure.

* * *

 _A certain brown-haired Terrain was sitting in his orange Kataphrakt, hiding behind a meteor, as the princess of Vers held a speech which was being broadcasted to everyone._

 _"Hear me, Orbital Knights of Vers. I am Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess Royal of the Vers Empire. The conflict began from a single spark, and has grown into a massive war. A multitude of people had myriad hopes and dreams that were at odds, resulting in great tragedy. This is a sad thing indeed." Said boy, silently smiled to himself, happy that it was the real princess this time, happy that she was save._

 _"This war has brought me great sorrow. I feel both shame and a deep regret over our use of power that was not meant for us. I hereby succeed the previous emperor, Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, and name myself Empress of the Vers Empire." That boy listened further taking in what the princess was saying, taking in what she wanted to do in order to change the terrible situation they were in._

 _And yet he totally did not expect what she was about to say._

 _"I also take Count Cruhteo, member of the Orbital Knights' 37 Clans, to be my husband. We, the imperial family of the Vers Empire, wish to make peace with Earth!" He sat there, behind the meteor, shocked in disbelief, and yet he wasn't so sure of why._

 _It made perfect sense of Asseylum to take Cruhteo as her husband, after all with him, she would regain her political power over the Martians and that would help her more than one would think._

 _Yet somehow, he didn't want to believe it. Was it because of his feelings for her? But from the starting on, he already knew that they wouldn't be able to be more than friends, even if his feelings were mutual. Or was he hoping that amidst all of that chaos they would be able to be together? Either way he knew now, that his feelings were mutual, but there was no way for them to be together. If she didn't take Cruhteo as her husband, the war would just come to an end with all the Terrains dying anyway._

 _And still, he didn't want to accept it._

* * *

Two years have passed since the war ended, since a certain Princess declared herself as Empress of Vers and took Count Cruhteo, or also known as Count Klankain, as her husband. As it was, that Empress was coming to Earth every now and then, mostly to check up on the Aldnoah Reactors, and to show the Terrains that she hasn't forgotten about them, in case any of them came up with such stupid ideas.

As always, Officer Kaizuka Inaho would attend the ceremony, if that's what you call it, and stand next to the other officers, including his sister, Warrant Officer Kaizuka Yuki, and listen to the Empress' speech. Even after two years, he still finds it weird to call the princess he loves and once fought together with Empress.

Today again, like every other time, the… Empress would talk to Inaho after the "ceremony" was over, with her husband standing about five metres behind her, not wanting to disturb them. Although they talk every time, their conversation would be very short and Inaho would speak to her in an over polite way, because otherwise he would feel awkward talking to the Empress of Vers so casually.

He would also always not look at Klancain even once, not out of hatred but just because he couldn't. Even when he would bow to him right before he left them, he would not make any eye contact at all

Klancain on the other hand, understood Inaho, he knew that Inaho and his wife were, even now, mutually in love. That's why, he understood Inaho and after all he would do the same if he were to be in the same position. He knew that he shouldn't be the one standing next the Asseylum, Inaho should be, and if not him then even Slaine would be a more realistic idea, even though everyone thought he was dead. He loved Asseylum, almost all of the Orbital Knights loved her and he was delighted to be her husband, but Inaho deserved it more than him, and so he was fine with Inaho hating him.

Asseylum herself knew that her feelings for Inaho were mutual that they could have had a happy life together, if only they hadn't gotten stuck in that war- no, if only she wasn't a princess.

"Well then, I wish you two a happy live." Inaho said with a sad smile to end their short conversation, something he had done for the past two years. It was something he knew he shouldn't say, in fact it sounded like something to say right after a wedding, and he himself knew that it just wasn't like him to say things like that. He also didn't feel like he was himself.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to refrain from saying that sentence. He knew, it probably troubled Empress Asseylum a lot. He was even troubling her, something he never ever wanted to do and yet he did. He wasn't even the type of person who can't keep their feelings to themselves and always has to tell everything, at least not to people the didn't want to, as it was he only had one person he could tell everything to.

Asseylum herself was really troubled, but rather by that sad smile. The phrase itself hurt her even though she knew Inaho doesn't actually want to. But she knew Inaho never really showed a lot of emotion to people, and she knew she was one of the only people to which he does actually show emotion. She even heard from his sister directly that during the war, after he had been shot he had shown quite a bit of emotion on his face and that probably because of her. She felt happy that she could make that stoic face disappear but after everything ended it reappeared and stayed, except for when he was with her. So, she was troubled by that smile.

"Inaho-san, please stop it. I'm sure it must hurt you the most saying that, it's totally not like you to say that as well." She tried to tell him for the first time.

"I apologize.. your Highness, I know that it hurts you too and I don't actually want to say it, but I can't help it." He bowed to her and in the direction of Klancain and made his leave.

He walked towards his sister, told her that he was leaving, and drove off in his car. After driving for a while he found himself driving on a very familiar rode, in fact he was just here this morning. He didn't mind that and just drove further, after all his destination was his only means of calming down.

He reached a house hidden by trees, with guards on watch outside of it. Once he got out of the car he nodded at the guards' greetings to him and entered the house. He walked through some corridors and entered a room, which only had a table with two chairs in it. He took a seat on one, the other already having someone seated on it.

"What's wrong, Inaho? Did something happen? You just came this morning." The boy now seated across from him asked him, his voice full of concern.

"She…. - I told her the same thing again, and well she told me to stop. She said I was probably hurt by it the most… And also that it wasn't like me to say something like that." Inaho told the boy everything.

"Well, it certainly isn't like you too. So what did you do?" the boy asked further.

"I… just took my leave, and headed directly for you." he said honestly.

"Now, that's like you. Haha." The boy tried to lighten up the mood for Inaho.

"Thanks, Slaine. Talking to you always make me feel better." He told the boy.

"No need to thank me in the slightest bit. If anything I should be thanking you for everything you're doing for me. Besides, doing this much for my best friend is normal." Slaine reassured him.

Inaho didn't lie about Slaine always making him feel better. With him he didn't need to put on his stoic expression, lie, he could drop all the honorifics and spill all of his problems with ease, and Inaho was not one to spill things. And all that because he and Slaine feels the same sadness, and totally understand him.

The two of them just couldn't help it, and they knew that the… Empress couldn't help it too. Slaine was completely fine with Inaho being so open with him, because it was thanks to Inaho listening to the Empress' wish that Slaine was saved and turned back into how he was before the war broke out. On top of that, Inaho probably didn't have anyone else he could talk to. Sometimes the two of them would start talking about the princess they knew for a very long time, to the point where they would start crying because she seemed so far away from them.

All of a sudden the door burst open: "I finally found you Inaho-san." The two boys found the very person they were talking about, Empress Asseylum, to be standing in front of them while breathing heavily.

"Your Highness… But how- did the guards just let you in?" Inaho was confused as to why she found him here.

With her face still towards the ground while she was calming down she answered: "... Your sister brought me here… the guards let me in because of her…" When she finally looked up to the boy she was talking to, she was surprised to see the other boy sitting in the room, so surprised she couldn't say another word.

"It's been a long time, Pri- no Empress Asseylum." Slaine smiled at her with his soft smile, the one she hadn't seen since before she left for earth.

"Slaine! You've returned to your old self!" She was overjoyed by this, so much she ended up hugging him.

"Yes, I have. It's all thanks to Inaho." He said, pulling her attention towards Inaho.

"That's not it, Slaine. I simply listened to her Highness' request in wanting to help you." Inaho stated.

Their little conversation had surprised the girl once again. Inaho had never been one to just call anyone by their first name, and not to mention dropping all and every honorific. He always spoke to people in a polite and more than over polite to her, since she became Empress, however Inaho spoke to Slaine as if he had been best friend with him for many many years. Slaine too, was not one to be so friendly to just anyone.

"Since when do you call each other by your first names?" She wanted to know.

"Ah, I wasn't feeling very comfortable at first. So I told Inaho to do so, so that I would feel a bit more familiarity here. After that we started talking a lot and became best friends." Slaine quickly explained, but the _"we started talking a lot about you"_ that he wanted to say was left out.

"Also, your Highness. I've been wanting to say this, but I apologize for all the trouble I've caused. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay for such a thing, but I'm truly sorry and you had to end up like this, just to fix my stupid mistakes." The three of them completely understood the meaning of _like this_.

She looked at Slaine, his face showing so much sadness. She wanted to loosen up the heavy mood and yet she knew she wasn't capable of doing that.

After a few seconds of silence Slaine spoke: "I've gotten over you already. I still love you in the same way, and probably always will, but I've accepted the fact that I'm not the one for you. But Count Cruhteo isn't it either, Inaho is." After hearing his words she was shocked, that was the first time anyone put that out so bluntly.

Inaho on the other hand felt awkward: "Slaine, I think you should stop there, you're troubling her Highness."

This made Slaine laugh a bit: "You're one to say that Inaho, like you've never troubled her before." He nudged the brown-haired boy with his elbow.

Before Inaho could say anything back however, the only girl in the room started to giggle, which caught both of the boys' attention.

"It's amazing how Inaho-san is also showing you so much emotion, Slaine." Her expression on her face turned into an apologetic one: "I'm really sorry Inaho-san, even though I really love you too…"

"It's not your Highness's fault. If your Highness didn't marry Count Cruhteo, the war would either be still going on or all the terrans would be dead, including me and Slaine would have never been saved." Inaho tries to make her feel better.

"Thank you very much for understanding Inaho-san. I'm also not truly happy with the way things are right now, but it has to be like this. Well, I really must go now or if not I won't be able to reach Vers in time for a meeting with the Orbital Knights." She said.

The three of them left that room and followed the Empress out into the open where a car with Yuki and Klancain was parked. As soon as they came out Klancain went out of the car, but he wasn't expecting to see Slaine.

"G-Good afternoon, C-Count Troyard." He wasn't sure of how call him.

"Good afternoon to you too. I'm not a Count anymore, or even a person considered to be alive, so Slaine's fine Count Cruhteo." Slaine paused to gather his thoughts before he continued in a rather fierce tone: "Count Cruhteo please don't take this as an offense or anything, but you better treasure Empress Asseylum in Inaho's and my stead. I want you to make sure to protect her properly and to support her." Now that Slaine had seen the Count in person again he was seconds away from punching him, although he held himself back with all of this might since the Count wasn't to blame to begin with.

Nobody was to blame.

The Count bowed before the two boys: "I swear I will."

"We should really get going then. See you next time Inaho-san, Slaine." The Empress said.

"See you again." Slaine merely said and smiled at her.

For some reasons the whole conversation from just now made Inaho feel a lot better, whether it was because of the things Slaine said or because the Empress apologized to him directly he did not know. But he knew, that he wanted to stop troubling her and with that himself, and as much as possible, he wanted to return to how it was between them before.

"See you again, Seylum-san." The sentence that was always spoken was left unsaid, the name she wanted him to call her by was there again, the over polite way of talking was gone and so was the bow: "See you again, Count Cruhteo." The eye contact was made, along with the usual bow towards the Count.

And the normal, happy smile he hasn't shown her in a while was there again.

* * *

A/N: So there you have it. I know I wrote that Inaho and Asseylum, both knew that their feelings were mutual even though they didn't really confess to each other. But I did that because that time were they both told each other that the other is a part of themselves, well I kind of took that as their kind of way to confess. After all Inaho isn't very good at expressing himself so directly. Honestly said, I'm kind of proud of this fanfiction. Somehow I really like it, it's much better compared to my other one-shots. What so you guys think? And also as much as I hate Klancain, I tried to make him not look like the villan, but I'm not sure if I succeeded in that. Like seriously I think it would have been much better if at least if was Mazuurek that Asseylum chose to marry, because Inaho trusts him xD.


End file.
